Raphael Wallfisch
”No British cellist has done more to advocate British composers than Raphael Wallfisch… throughout all three works, Wallfisch’s playing evinces that attention to detail, tonal finesse and understated conviction which has long made him an exponent of new and unfamiliar music…” International Record Review
Raphael Wallfisch was born in London into a family of distinguished musicians, his mother the cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, and his father the pianist Peter Wallfisch. At an early age, Raphael was greatly inspired by hearing Zara Nelsova play, and, guided by a succession of fine teachers, including Amaryllis Fleming, Amedeo Baldovino and Derek Simpson, it became apparent that the cello was to be his life's work.
While studying with the great Russian cellist Gregor Piatigorsky in California (Thornton School of Music), he was chosen to perform chamber music with Jascha Heifetz in the informal recitals that Piatigorsky held at his home. At the age of twenty-four he won the Gaspar Cassadó International Cello Competition in Florence. Since then he has enjoyed a world-wide career playing with such orchestras as the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, BBC Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra, Hallé, City of Birmingham Symphony, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Berlin Symphony, Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony, Warsaw Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic and many others.
He is regularly invited to play at major festivals such as the BBC Proms, Edinburgh, Aldeburgh, Spoleto, Prades, Oslo and Schleswig Holstein.
Teaching is one of Raphael Wallfisch's passions and he teaches masterclasses all over the world. Raphael holds professorships in Switzerland at the Zürich Winterthur Konservatorium and in Manchester at the Royal Northern College of Music.
With a discography of over 70 discs Raphael Wallfisch is one of the most recorded classical artists in the world. His extensive recordings with EMI, Chandos, Black Box, ASV, Naxos and Nimbus include concertante works by Dohnanyi, Respighi, Barber, Hindemith and Martinu, as well as Richard Strauss, Dvorak, Kabalevsky and Khachaturian and a wide range of British cello concertos, including works by MacMillan, Finzi, Delius, Bax, Bliss, Britten, Moeran and Kenneth Leighton. For the Walton Edition on Chandos, he recorded the Cello Concerto originally written for his master Piatigorsky. Raphael’s recording of Jewish repertoire by Bloch, Ravel and Caplet triggered extensive interest from the media as soon as it was released in January 2014, in time for Holocaust Memorial Day (27 Jan). His latest disc of Seiber, Dorati and Bartok cello concertos on the Nimbus Records label were released this year.
Britain's leading composers have worked closely with Raphael Wallfisch, often writing works for him. These include Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Kenneth Leighton, James MacMillan, John Metcalf, Paul Patterson, Robert Simpson, Robert Saxton, Roger Smalley, Giles Swayne, John Tavener and Adrian Williams.
Raphael Wallfisch is a founding member of the Trio Shaham Erez Wallfisch piano trio. His duo partner is the acclaimed pianist, John York with whom he has recorded and performed extensively with for over 30 years.
”No British cellist has done more to advocate British composers than Raphael Wallfisch… throughout all three works, Wallfisch’s playing evinces that attention to detail, tonal finesse and understated conviction which has long made him an exponent of new and unfamiliar music…” International Record Review
Raphael Wallfisch was born in London into a family of distinguished musicians, his mother the cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, and his father the pianist Peter Wallfisch. At an early age, Raphael was greatly inspired by hearing Zara Nelsova play, and, guided by a succession of fine teachers, including Amaryllis Fleming, Amedeo Baldovino and Derek Simpson, it became apparent that the cello was to be his life's work.
While studying with the great Russian cellist Gregor Piatigorsky in California (Thornton School of Music), he was chosen to perform chamber music with Jascha Heifetz in the informal recitals that Piatigorsky held at his home. At the age of twenty-four he won the Gaspar Cassadó International Cello Competition in Florence. Since then he has enjoyed a world-wide career playing with such orchestras as the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, BBC Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra, Hallé, City of Birmingham Symphony, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Berlin Symphony, Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony, Warsaw Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic and many others.
He is regularly invited to play at major festivals such as the BBC Proms, Edinburgh, Aldeburgh, Spoleto, Prades, Oslo and Schleswig Holstein.
Teaching is one of Raphael Wallfisch's passions and he teaches masterclasses all over the world. Raphael holds professorships in Switzerland at the Zürich Winterthur Konservatorium and in Manchester at the Royal Northern College of Music.
With a discography of over 70 discs Raphael Wallfisch is one of the most recorded classical artists in the world. His extensive recordings with EMI, Chandos, Black Box, ASV, Naxos and Nimbus include concertante works by Dohnanyi, Respighi, Barber, Hindemith and Martinu, as well as Richard Strauss, Dvorak, Kabalevsky and Khachaturian and a wide range of British cello concertos, including works by MacMillan, Finzi, Delius, Bax, Bliss, Britten, Moeran and Kenneth Leighton. For the Walton Edition on Chandos, he recorded the Cello Concerto originally written for his master Piatigorsky. Raphael’s recording of Jewish repertoire by Bloch, Ravel and Caplet triggered extensive interest from the media as soon as it was released in January 2014, in time for Holocaust Memorial Day (27 Jan). His latest disc of Seiber, Dorati and Bartok cello concertos on the Nimbus Records label were released this year.
Britain's leading composers have worked closely with Raphael Wallfisch, often writing works for him. These include Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Kenneth Leighton, James MacMillan, John Metcalf, Paul Patterson, Robert Simpson, Robert Saxton, Roger Smalley, Giles Swayne, John Tavener and Adrian Williams.
Raphael Wallfisch is a founding member of the Trio Shaham Erez Wallfisch piano trio. His duo partner is the acclaimed pianist, John York with whom he has recorded and performed extensively with for over 30 years.
Roel Dieltiens
Roel Dieltiens studied in Antwerp (B) and Detmold (D). He swiftly made a name for himself on the international scene and is now regarded as an authority on both modern and Baroque cello. His strong personality, overwhelming musicality and unconventional approach took him right from the beginning of his career to all the world’s great concert centres (Paris, Berlin, London, New York, Moscow, Tokyo). He has also gained international recognition as a chamber musician and founder of the celebrated Ensemble Explorations. Since 2010 he has appeared in trio formation with Andreas Staier (piano) and Daniel Sepec (violin).
He has made a whole series of recordings for the Harmonia Mundi and Etcetera labels that have consistently received praise from the critics and aroused great public interest. Some quotations from the reviews that have greeted his CDs illustrate this nicely: ‘Simply the best’ (Classic CD, USA, on the recording of Kodály’s Sonata for solo cello op. 8); ‘The only significant disc of cello music to appear in 1997’ (Fanfare, USA, on his Franchomme CD); ‘A distinguished disc, and the best Vivaldi recording for a long time’ (Diapason, France, on his first CD of cello concertos by Vivaldi).
In 2010 Roel Dieltiens received a Klara award and the Caecilia Prize for his recent recording of the Suites for unaccompanied cello of J. S. Bach.
Roel Dieltiens is Professor of Cello at the Hochschule der Künste in Zurich (CH) and has served as a jury member in international competitions including the Leipzig Bach Competition and the Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition.
In addition to this, he is associated with the Lemmensinstituut in Leuven (B), where he teaches chamber music. In 2006 the TV channel Canvas produced a comprehensive in-depth documentary about this artist.
He has made a whole series of recordings for the Harmonia Mundi and Etcetera labels that have consistently received praise from the critics and aroused great public interest. Some quotations from the reviews that have greeted his CDs illustrate this nicely: ‘Simply the best’ (Classic CD, USA, on the recording of Kodály’s Sonata for solo cello op. 8); ‘The only significant disc of cello music to appear in 1997’ (Fanfare, USA, on his Franchomme CD); ‘A distinguished disc, and the best Vivaldi recording for a long time’ (Diapason, France, on his first CD of cello concertos by Vivaldi).
In 2010 Roel Dieltiens received a Klara award and the Caecilia Prize for his recent recording of the Suites for unaccompanied cello of J. S. Bach.
Roel Dieltiens is Professor of Cello at the Hochschule der Künste in Zurich (CH) and has served as a jury member in international competitions including the Leipzig Bach Competition and the Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition.
In addition to this, he is associated with the Lemmensinstituut in Leuven (B), where he teaches chamber music. In 2006 the TV channel Canvas produced a comprehensive in-depth documentary about this artist.
Sebastian Comberti
Born in London, Sebastian Comberti studied in Italy with Amedeo Baldovino and later with Derek Simpson and Sidney Griller at the Royal Academy of Music, from where he graduated in 1977. In 1976 he became a founder member of the Bochmann Quartet giving concerts throughout the British Isles and in Europe. In 1983 he became principal cello with the London Mozart Players, with whom he has appeared frequently as soloist, as well as being an active member of the LMP Chamber Ensemble. A keen interest in historically informed performance has resulted in participation with a great many of London’s period instrument groups, frequently appearing as principal cello with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and soloist with the Hanover Band. Research into early cello repertoire led to several recitals being recorded by the BBC. As soloist for CPO he has recorded 4 Cds of the Sinfonia Concertantes of JC Bach, while as a member of several chamber groups he has recorded for CRD, EMI, Harmonia Mundi, Hyperion, Meridian, Phoenix and RCA. In April 2001 Sebastian founded Cello Classics, a label devoted to recordings of rare repertoire and artists, for which he has himself released CDs of hitherto unknown sonatas by Boccherini, quartets for 4 cellos, early 19th Century sonatas with fortepiano, and discs of Sonatas by Stephen Paxton, and concertos by Haydn and Zumsteeg with the OAE. Since 1978 he has been a founder member of the 2-cello quintet Divertimenti, recording for Hyperion, Dutton Sound and cello Classics. With Maggie Cole and Kati Debretzeni he forms part of Trio Goya. Their 2018 CD of Beethoven Op. 1 Trios has been received with great acclaim. |
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